Pizza Today - October 2019 - 55

what you want done, keep on growing and expanding your menu,
keep it interesting and just treat people with respect, the way that
you would want to be treated. I've been very fortunate to have
a lot of great people that want to learn, that care about food as
much as I do, come through our back door and work with us."
Strawhecker has cultivated a number of young chefs who
have gone on to excel in their careers and even open restaurants. He has brought past kitchen talent back for alumni
series dinners.
He capitalizes on his strengths and passion for food
education in the restaurants' community outreach. Dante has
partnered with Omaha Public Schools to take third graders
out to a farm that produced Dante's fresh mozzarella. "They
would see the cattle in the field grazing," he says. "Then they
would bring the cattle in, they would milk the cattle and they
would do a demo on how they produced mozzarella and then
they would bring the cheese out to our mobile ovens and we
would stretch dough and make pizzas and use the mozzarella
that they helped make."
Dante also raises money for Saving Grace, a perishable food
rescue dedicated to feeding the hungry.
PIZZA TODAY ALSO VISITED FORNO, A SISTER RESTAURANT
THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM 10-YEAR-OLD DANTE YET EMBODIES THE
TENANTS THAT HIS FIRST RESTAURANT FOUNDED IN OMAHA. It has

a story of its own that reveals the realities of being a successful
restaurateur - of knowing when to try something new and
when to switch directions.
Two years ago, Strawhecker started planning the opening of
a second restaurant, Dante Pizzeria Napoletana. At the same
time, fast-casual pizza was surging across the U.S. "What Dante
Pizzeria Napoletana was was an offshoot of Dante - pizza focused, value driven, counter-service concept," Strawhecker says.
"It was like the greatest hits of Dante. It had a lower price point.
At first it was great, we're going to open several of these but
then it just didn't have repeat business and revenue declined."
Strawhecker had foraged out into the fast-casual pizza
market ultimately deciding that the community wanted what
he was known for. He closed Dante Pizzeria Napoletana and
worked with Gilmore to re-envision the space as a full-service
restaurant. Forno opened in April. It's a concept that is truer to
the foundation of Nick Strawhecker's restaurant ethos.
Dante Pizzeria Napoletana had a static menu, while Forno's
menu is constantly changing. Forno has its own distinctive
personality and infusion of culinary uniqueness, like Tigelle.
One of the only imported Italian Tigelle presses in the country,
the shareable features small flatbread that diners split open and
stuff with divine house condiments, various meats and cheeses.
Now, both restaurants are moving in the right direction.
Strawhecker says, his focus moving forward is to "sustain that,
keep the numbers in line, keep the prime costs in line and stay
a leader in Omaha and in the Midwest." n
DENISE GREER is executive editor at Pizza Today.
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O B E R 2 0 1 9 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 5 5

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Pizza Today - October 2019

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